UUCY Book Club
Historical Fiction Set in Wenatchee for March Book Club Discussion
The January gathering of our UUCY Book Club, facilitated by our new leaders, Gean Dindia and Rosemary Saul, was a small but lively group engaged in discussion of a book by award-winning author Molly Gloss set in Eastern Oregon during the winter of 1917-1918 called The Hearts of Horses. It is an elegant, heartwarming story about the profound connections between people and animals. It’s worth a read even if you did not participate in the book club discussion.
For our next selection, eight copies of The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin from the Yakima Valley Libraries Book Club kit have been distributed. You can read it on Kindle, with print and electronic editions available at the Yakima Valley Libraries, and from Inklings Bookshop; indicate it is a book club selection for a discount.
At the turn of the twentieth century in the Pacific Northwest, reclusive orchardist William Talmadge tends to his apples and apricots. One day, two teenaged girls steal his fruit and later return to his orchard to see the man who gave them no chase. Feral, scared, and pregnant, they take up on Talmadge’s land and indulge in his deep reservoir of compassion. But just as the girls begin to trust him, men arrive in the orchard with guns…
It was a nominee for numerous literary awards. Some reviews:
“Beautifully written, so alive to the magnificence of the land and the intricate mysteries of human nature, that it inspires awe rather than depression.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Many contemporary novelists have revisited the question of what constitutes a family, but few have responded in a voice as resolute and fiercely poetic.” — New York Times Book Review
“A stunning debut… The Orchardist is a poetic book, but its strength doesn’t lie solely in its language. Coplin’s understanding of abuse and the lasting effects of fear and loss on the individual psyche are deeply resonant. As a debut novel, The Orchardist stands on par with Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain.” — The Oregonian (Portland)
Plan to meet on Thursday, MARCH (not February!) 13, 2025, at 5:00 PM at our church home at 407 N 1st Street, Suite 3 to share your thoughts and reactions to the novel.
Book description and reviews excerpted from yvl.org and Inklings Bookshop website.